Gotham Knight
by FAH3
Summary: As Ron Stoppable hunts down the man that killed his parents, he recalls the events that made him into The Batman. Part of the "INVINCIBLE" story line. KP/Superman Fusion.
1. Chapter 1

GOTHAM KNIGHT

By FAH3

After all these years and all the countless nightmares he had suffered, there he was. The man that had taken his parents from him and changed his life forever. Joe Chill. Thief. Scum. Murderer. After coming into contact with an alien plant that was called the Black Mercy, all his memories of that night had come back to him when the plant was removed from his body. And every single memory he had about that night was as clearer as they have ever been. After creating a sketch of his face, the computer found him within moments. However, the data he needed about him wasn't completely there. Ron gave a deep sigh as he saw where the information had been cut off.

Sadly, he didn't have access to the GCPD files at the moment. After years of barley receiving enough funds, the city finally built the police department a new facility for them with updated computer systems. That meant Ron had lost his link to the GCPD database and couldn't get access to the new one until all the bugs were worked out of the new system and construction of the building was completed. Right now, the only person that had access to the information he needed was Oracle. He didn't want to risk her job at the GCPD, though. Barbra helped maintain their systems and updated their files, so Ron knew for a fact that she had built in a backdoor that only she could access. The new mayor had made it a priority to crack down on Batman's movements in Gotham. That meant there was a small chance that they could trace Barbra if she tried to use her link right now. She could access the database herself with her job in the GCPD saying she was updating files or making a list of possible suspects for one of several unsolved cases. No, that was too risky. There was still a good chance she could still get into trouble and loose her job. Normally he wouldn't ask her to help him if it jeopardized her resources as Oracle. But this was different. He finally found his parents killer and he wasn't going to let him get away again.

* * *

 **GOTHAM CITY; CHINATOWN**

It was relatively quiet in her apartment that night. The only thing Barbra Gordon, daughter of Commissioner James Gordon, could hear was the movement and noises of the various creatures that flew this high up while the city noises were distantly below her. Her boss, Ron Stoppable of Stoppable Industries, had given her a fully furnished and renovated apartment that was located inside the top of the clock tower that sat in the middle of the Chinatown district of Gotham City when she went to work for him. Because Ron and her father were friends, he was more than happy to help her get situated after the Joker had paralyzed her. As far as her father and everyone else knew, she was one of the tech people at Stoppable Industries. Everyone thinking she was one of their Tech people. What she really did was help monitor all the activities in Gotham and aid Stoppable when he was patrolling the streets as Batman. Every so often she would give a helping hand to some of the heroes of the Justice League, but she preferred to help keep her hometown safe.

She finished the book she was reading and placed it back on the shelf before she wheeled her chair to a bronze bust of Shakespeare. Flipping the statue's head upward, she pressed the small button that sat inside the statue's neck. After a thin blue light scanned her face and eyes, the lights in her apartment immediately shut off. Large spiral shutters closed against the glass clock tower faces as hologram projectors brought three dimensional computer screens to life and a work station rose from the center of the floor. She wheeled to the work station while grasping a headset that was connected to it and placed it on her head while she began her nightly routine. She gazed her eyes at all the data readouts that sat in front of her and so far, everything was quiet tonight. That was rare for there to be a quiet night in Gotham City, but they did happen every so often.

"This is Oracle. I need a status report." Barbra said.

" _This is Robin. I'm doing a patrol in the Bowery and everything looks fine so far."_

" _This is Batgirl. I busted a few drug dealers and a mugging in the Diamond District. Nothing big."_

"Copy. What about Supergirl?"

" _She's training with the others tonight at Mount Justice."_

"What about Batman?"

" _He's been a little moody lately. I haven't seen him for the past week."_ Batgirl reported.

" _That usually means something's up. Stay on your toes, Babs."_ Robin said.

"Very funny." Barbara said as she looked down at the motorized wheelchair she was currently sitting in.

" _You know what I mean."_ Robin responded.

"I know, Robin. Keep me posted." She said as she looked down at her legs. She noticed how they had become rather skinny, despite the exercises that they were giving at physical therapy. She bit her lip as she remembered the night that Joker did this to her. She had graduated college and came to visit her father. He was out late again, trying to solve a case with Batman's help. She was reading a book when she heard a knock at the door. She thought her father had forgotten his keys at the police station again, like he would usually do when he was stressed out about a case or a loose criminal from Arkham. To her horror, there was the Joker. He was wearing his usual ugly purple suit and had a camera around his neck. It was funny how much detail she remembered about a night she so desperately wanted to forget. Her heart leapt into her throat when she saw that pale face and that hideous red scar that made him look like a diseased clown. Then she saw the gun. A large magnum revolver, similar to the one Clint Eastwood had in the Dirty Harry movies, that he had been holding in his hand.

She thought she could make it to the bedroom and lock the door. Keep him away and use the land line that her father kept at the side of his bed. No sooner had she turned was when she heard what she swore was a cannon going off directly behind her and felt the horrible burning inside of her, like her organs were on fire. The burning was so hot and the pain she felt was so intense that she couldn't even scream. Every agonizing minute was so intense that she didn't even know that she was on the floor. Not until she saw the Joker standing and leering over her like a predator with a fresh kill. The only thing she could remember, beside his hideous smiling face, was that she was crying. She could still feel her tears falling down her face while the Joker took pictures of her. He was giggling and laughing the whole time she was suffering with her own blood pooling beneath her. He still just kept taking pictures of her.

There was so much of her memory missing afterward. She remembered waking up in the hospital with her father asleep in a chair next to her bed. When her eyes had finally focused, she saw and realized how bad her father was hurt. The deep purple bruises that covered his face were horrible. The swelling almost made him look like a completely different person. All the cuts that were all over him looked bad. Not just deep, but they also looked like they were infected. When she tried to move to see if he was all right, she realized that she couldn't feel or move her legs. It was only a few more minutes afterward that the doctor's told her what both she and her father were afraid of. The Joker's bullet had severed her spinal cord. She would never be able to walk again.

Ronald Stoppable had done everything he could with the hospital bills and everything else. When she started Physical Therapy, Ronald had come to visit her to see how her progress was. If she needed money or wheel chairs, Stoppable was there to help. He claimed it was because her father was one of the first officers at his parents murder and did everything he could to help him through the ordeal. But with all the time on her hands with her learning how to live without the use of her legs, she had been able to deduce that Ron Stoppable was the Batman. To her surprise, he offered her the chance to replace Ron's close friend, Wade Load, as Oracle. Wade had decided to relocate to Metropolis and Ron needed help while he was out in the field. Ron and the rest of his team welcomed her as part of their family.

However, she was still afraid of Ron whenever he put on the cape and cowl. It was like a case of Jekyll and Hyde. He would become a totally different person whenever he was Batman. She didn't know if it was because of that Mystical Monkey Power of his or just something that he had learned from being a crime fighter. Two sides of the same person.

Barbra focused her attention at the task at hand as she made sure nothing serious was happening. She was checking some of the latest news posts when she heard Ron coming in on her comm. device.

" _Oracle, bring me up everything the police have on Joe Chill."_ Ron said.

"No problem. I finally get to test my backdoor in the new database." Babs said with a small grin as she accessed the data Ron wanted. So far, everything looked good. Her backdoor was working like a charm. She made a mental note to send Wade a thank you card or chocolates for helping her create it. In a few moments, Babs brought up a mug shot and rap sheet.

"The photo is an old one. It looks like his priors include robbery, assault, assault with a deadly weapon? Sounds like a gentleman. He's also suspected in several deaths. Why do you want to know about this guy?" she asked.

" _He's a suspect in a cold case I'm working on. Is there anything recent about him?"_ Ron asked her, ignoring her question.

"According to what I'm looking at, he's now a pretty serious black market weapons dealer. Even Penguin has put a small bounty on his head. Guess Oswald doesn't like the competition. He's also been suspected in selling weapons to all the local gangs in Metropolis, Blüdhaven, and to both the Falcone and Maroni families here in Gotham."

" _Is there a known address?"_

"The last known address was a tenement that burned down over seven years ago. His whereabouts are unknown." Barbra told him.

" _Does the GCPD have a list of known associates? They might know where he is."_ Ron asked her.

"I'm looking it up right now. A few small time crooks that are either in prison or left Gotham after the Batman made himself known. Wait a minute." Barbra said as she noticed one name.

" _What is it, Oracle?"_

"I don't believe it. One of his known associates is Louise Moxon." Barbra said as she brought the Moxon file up.

" _Moxon? Wasn't he the head of one of the Gotham crime families?"_

"Moxon used to be the head of the second most powerful crime family in Gotham City. When he was finally busted, his whole empire collapsed. The Maroni's were able to sweep in and take over what was left of his territory and businesses and moved a giant leap up the ladder. I bet he's pissed at whoever busted him. Wait – you and Kim busted him when you two were still in High School?"

" _That was a long time ago. Where's Moxon now?"_

"Um, I don't know."

" _What do you mean, Oracle?"_

"I mean it doesn't say. Louise was given a life sentence at Blackgate prison. Then five years ago, during a routine check-up, the doctors diagnosed him with cancer. From what I can tell, he's been getting worse and worse. After that, it just stops. According to the Blackgate database, he was removed from the prison and transferred to an undisclosed location. There aren't any other files about him in the entire database." Barbra said.

" _If his health is as bad as you said, he's probably confessing everything he knows before he dies. That means they're protecting him. They're making sure one of his enemies doesn't kill him before the cancer does."_

"How can you be so sure?"

" _One thing that's well known about Moxon is that he's a devote Catholic. He doesn't want to burn in hell, so he's trying to repent for his sins."_

"But that doesn't tell us where Moxon is." Barbra said.

" _If he's being protected, there's one person that probably knows where Moxon is being kept."_

"There's Harvey Dent, but; I doubt he trusts you as far as he can throw you. That means – ah, crap." Barbra said. "Should I tell dad to expect company?"

" _No need. He's paging me right now."_

As Ron's transmission cut out, Barbra raised a questioning eyebrow. Oracle temporarily deactivated all her computer systems and watched as her bookcases slid into place and the large shutters opened to reveal the giant clock tower faces and the view of Gotham City. Hanging high in the dirty night sky above Gotham was a large spotlight being displayed against the pendulous clouds above. In the middle of the spotlight was the large silhouette symbol of a giant bat.

* * *

As Ron made to where his uniforms were kept, a part of his mind began to drift back into his past. Before Kim's father died of a heart attack and when he and Kim visited Gotham City for the first time. How all of those memories seemed to belong to another life and another person entirely.

 **GOTHAM CITY: SEVERAL YEARS AGO**

The bus slowly came to a stop as the air brakes and let out a loud pop. As the doors opened, a handful of young teenagers emerged and covered their eyes to the sunlight after spending several hours in the bus with the only light coming from the florescent lights that were installed in the long vehicle's ceiling. Their chaperone was a large man with a military buzz cut and a stern look that seemed to almost be chiseled into his face. As he made a head count of the students that were there, he glared at the young man in the back. The shaggy and unkempt blonde hair, the loose fitting clothes, and the attitude always aggravated him to no end. To him, this teenager. Ronald Dean Stoppable, was the embodiment of everything that insulted what he had been brought up to believe in and respect. "Non conformist punk." The teacher, Mr. Barkin, growled to himself as he finished his head count.

"All right people, being here is a privilege. Let's return the generosity of Gotham City by being on our best behavior." His loud voice said.

"I'd rather the city not try to kill us while we're here." The young tanned brunette said as she looked at the city around her with a look of disgust.

"What do you mean, Bonnie?" the young blonde girl next to her asked.

"Hello, Terra? Gotham City is ranked as the third most dangerous city to live in. Everyone knows there's a slim chance of you either not being mugged or killed while you're here." She said.

"Can it, Miss Rockwaller. We have a schedule to keep, and we're not going to get behind on my watch. Now follow me to the hotel so we can get checked in."

"Yes, Mr. Barkin." Bonnie mumbled as the group of students began to follow the large teacher.

"Kind of amazing place, isn't it?" Ron asked his best friend, the red headed teen next to him.

"I don't know, Ron. It looks really depressing." She said.

"What do you mean, KP?"

"Look at all the buildings. Everything has harp angles and Gothic looks. It looks like Tim Burton designed this city." Kim said.

"I'll admit, I would have preferred Go City. But this place is one of the oldest cities in the United States." Ron said with a shrug as they made their way to the large hotel that would house them while they were in Gotham City. At least, that's what was supposed to happen until Barkin walked to the one hotel employee that had the least experience dealing with customers.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE DON'T HAVE A RESERVATION?!" Barkin shouted, sounding like an angry rhino that just had its balls caught in a bear trap.

"I-I'm sorry, sir. But there's nothing in the computer about a Middleton High School." The young man said as he began to feel like a mouse looking at a giant hungry tiger.

"The reservation was made months ago, and the school already made the deposit. I have the confirmation receipts here!" Barkin said as he removed the papers from his clipboard and almost shoved them into the young man's face, proving that they indeed had reservations at the hotel.

"Um, well." The young man stuttered until a thin and tall man behind him in a dark jacket and slacks took notice of the situation. His graying black hair was slick back and looked as if he had just stepped out of the shower while a pencil thin mustache sat on his upper lip.

"It's all right, Cedric. I can handle this." He said in a faux British accent and allowed the young man to run away as he faced Mr. Barkin. "I'm one of the hotel's managers, sir. Now what seems to be the problem?"

"I'm Vice Principle Barkin, and I have with me the cheerleading team from Middleton High School, Colorado. We're here for the Cheerleading Nationals that's being held in Gotham City. I made reservations for these teenagers, and myself, several months ago and paid a deposit on the rooms. I also have the confirmation paperwork to prove it. Despite all this, your little punk of an employee refuses to let us check in!" Barkin said and shoved the almost crumpled paperwork to the manager.

"I'm sure there's been a small error. Give me a moment." He said as he typed in the information and began to look through their records. Within a few moments, the manager's face shifted into a slight look of surprise. "Oh, dear." He said before looking up at Barkin. "You did have a reservation. However, according to this, it seems one of our newer employees canceled it three days ago." He said.

In reality, he was the one that canceled the reservation. One of their high paying clients, Mr. Rupert Thorne, was throwing a party and needed the rooms for several of his friends. Being the manager, he had access to employee records and passwords. So a few clicks here and there, and Mr. Thorne had his rooms and one of these useless teenagers would be out of a job. He didn't care what would come of the employee that would loose their job. He only cared about the generous tip Mr. Thorne had given him for how quickly he made the rooms available.

"Canceled? CANCELED?! Aren't you supposed to confirm that it wasn't some employee screw up?!" Barkin shouted with his voice echoing across the lobby.

"I'm sorry, sir. As I said, this was the result of human error. The employee will be dealt with. Other than that, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do." The manager said.

"Where the hell are my students supposed to sleep? I'm in charge of trained athletes! They need beds for rest and access to showers and baths to sooth muscle sprang and fatigue!" Barkin demanded.

"I'm afraid we have no available rooms, sir. However, I believe there is a motel not too far from the airport that may have several vacancies." He said when he knew all too well it was a rat's nest that was mainly used for extra-marital activities. Not even a homeless man with money would want to sped a full night in that dump.

"Why you slimy,"

"Excuse me." A man said, interrupting Mr. Barkin's rant. The man was slightly taller than Mr. Barkin and wore a three piece suit that had broad shoulders, and jet black hair that was combed in a part to the right. His temples were slightly gray while a neatly trimmed mustache had only a few hints of gray hairs. "I couldn't help but overhear. They had a reservation and paid for the rooms, yet you can't give them anything?"

"My hands are tied, sir." The manager said.

"What about the penthouse suite on the top floor? I'm sure it's more than big enough to house this gentlemen and his students." He said, making the manager scoff and look at him like he had just lost his mind.

"The penthouse is reserved specifically for the hotel's owner and his guests. They have as much chance staying in that room as me becoming the King of England." The manager said.

"I don't see the problem, then. Have them taken up there as my guests." The man said and earned a strange look from both the manager and Mr. Barkin.

"If this is a joke, it isn't funny. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave." The manager said and noticed the man reach into his coat pocket and retrieve his wallet. The man removed his driver's license and handed it to the manager as a slight smile appeared on the man's face.

"It isn't a joke. My name is Thomas Wayne, and I own this hotel. It was built by my ancestor, Solomon Wayne, who helped found this city." He said as the manager's face went pale as he looked at the driver's license. His hand began to shake as he handed it back.

"My apologies, Mr. Wayne. I'll have them taken to the penthouse immediately." The manager said as his faux British accent began to falter.

"Thank you. Also, I think it's time this hotel's policy was probably changed. I don't want something like this to happen again." He said and turned to Mr. Barkin. "If the staff gives you any more trouble, just let me know." He said as he handed Barkin a card with Thomas Wayne's office numbers and cell number.

"Thank you, Mr. Wayne. I wish I could repay you." Barkin said.

"It's quite all right." Mr. Wayne said with a smile as he began to walk away. He glanced over his shoulder once more as he was walking past the last few teenagers and stopped in his tracks. For a moment, he could have sworn he was looking at a ghost from his past. The person he was looking at just happened to be Kim Possible.

"Forgive me for prying. I know you're the famous Kim Possible, but; is your mother's name Andrea Beaumont?" he asked the young woman.

"Yes, that's her name." Kim said, feeling a little uneasy about how this man was looking at her.

"So James did end up marrying her. Your mother and I attended the same Medical School. I even knew your father before he became an accomplished rocket scientist. I haven't seen either of them since your mother and I finished our residency at St. Luke's. How is she?" Mr. Wayne said.

"She's doing good. She's one of the foremost leading brain surgeon's in the country."

"Amazing. I always knew she was talented." Thomas as he began to look back on a few memories from so many years ago.

"If you like, I can give you her e-mail address so you two can catch up." Kim offered.

"That's all right. I've got too many things I need to take care of as is. Just make sure you kick ass in the National's tomorrow." He said as he firmly shook Kim's hand before he began to leave again. "Oh, I almost forgot. I'm hosting a masquerade ball the day after tomorrow in the Grand Ball Room. If you want, you and the rest of your class are invited as my special guests."

"Thank you. I'll make sure I tell that to Mr. Barkin." Kim said.

"Wow. He sure was nice, wasn't he?" Ron asked.

"He is. I think he's also trying to pay me back for the time I saved him and his board of directors when one of their R&D projects went haywire." Kim said.

"Is there anyone that doesn't owe us a favor?" Ron asked her.

"I'm really not sure anymore." Kim said as they took their bags and headed to the elevator.

* * *

 **GOTHAM CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT; THE CAULDRUN**

There was a slight bite to the cold wind that was blowing through that made the hairs on the back of Commissioner Gordon's neck stand up on end. It was the beginning of October, so it was about time for the weather to get colder. Of course, he remembered when it used to mean that the city was going to have an early winter. Now it just usually meant that Mr. Freeze was in town again. If that was the case, he hoped that living snowman would just lay low. Having lost a wife himself, he could somehow relate to Fries and couldn't help but feel sorry for him. But that was as far as it went. He had to focus on the now and why he was standing on the roof of police headquarters, freezing his nuts off. He gazed at his watch briefly before he pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. Five minutes since he activated the light. He should be here any minute now. If he was anything, he was punctual.

"Jim?" a rough voice asked behind him.

"I know that tone." Jim said as he removed his glasses and turned to face the masked figure that stood behind him. "Every time you call me Jim," Gordon said as he wiped his lenses with a cloth handkerchief he kept in his coat pocket. "you want something in return."

"That can wait. What's happened?" Batman asked. Knowing he wouldn't turn on the signal this early unless it was for something important.

"Someone insisted on meeting you. I thought it was time we all met face to face." Jim said as he placed his glassed back on his face and nodded toward the roof entrance.

Batman turned and saw a very tall and broad figure emerge from a shadowed corner of the roof. His hair was combed backward and held in place with mouse, clean shaven and wore a pressed suit. Only the man's eyes revealed that he hadn't had a proper sleep in days. Maybe even a few weeks. He was broad shouldered and strong, trying to use his suit to hide the fact that he obviously worked out.

"Batman, this is"

"District Attorney Harvey Dent. You used to work for Internal Affairs when Commissioner Loeb was still in power."

"Thanks to you and Gordon, I was able to put a good number of Loeb's men and some of their underworld connections out of commission."

"I'm guessing there's a reason you're willing to talk to me, given your stance on vigilantism." Batman said.

"I don't approve of your methods. The fact you operate outside of the law, or the fact that Gordon's willing to accept your help. But right now, you're what Gotham City needs the most. If there's ever going to be any hope for this city, we need to cut the source of the cancer out."

"Meaning?" Batman asked.

"I'm trying to take down Carmine Falcone." Dent said as Batman raised a surprised eyebrow beneath his mask.

"Many have tried. What makes you think you have a chance where others have failed?" Batman asked him.

"The others were either paid to turn the other way or too afraid. I'm neither. But it's no secret the Roman has a lot of influence in Gotham. If we're going to take him down, it's going to be up to all of us to find a weak spot and squeeze it." Dent said.

"This is going to get dirty, Harvey. Really dirty. If we do this, lines are going to get blurred. We have to promise that we aren't going to cross any lines. We do it by the book." Gordon said.

"Agreed. Batman?"

"I'll see what I can do. Just make sure everything's ready." Batman said.

"What do we do if we need to talk to you? Batman?" Harvey asked, but saw nothing where the Batman had been standing. It was just the two of them on the roof now. "How does he do that?"

"Don't know. But it gets annoying after a while." Gordon said as he shut down the giant spot light and made his way to the roof access. "Something tells me that this is going to be a long Halloween." Jim said to himself.

After they were back in the building, Harvey went his own way while Gordon went into his office. As soon as he closed the office door, he locked it and grabbed his pipe that had been sitting on the desk. Barbra had gotten it for him as a father day's present years ago and he hasn't stopped using it since. He had to admit, he looked better smoking this than he did a cigar or a cigarette. He stuffed a little of sweet smelling tobacco into it and lit it. He inhaled the sickly smoke from the burning dried tobacco and let it out in a smooth puff as he sat down.

* * *

"I was wondering if you were still here." Gordon said as he recognized the large figure in the corner of his office, next to an open window. "If I recall, you needed something."

"I may have a lead in a cold case. I need information about a Blackgate prisoner." Batman said as he stood as still as a statue.

"Do you know how many people are locked up in Blackgate? What makes you think I'd know anything about one prisoner?" Gordon asked him.

"Louis Moxon." Batman said and saw Gordon close his eyes like he just felt a headache instantly form in the front of his brain.

"Of all the people, why do you want to know about him?"

"I'm looking for one of his known associates. Moxon may be the only one who knows where he is."

"He's also dying, Batman. We've been getting information out of him, but only by playing by his rules. If you show up, he'll either quit cooperating or die of a heart attack."

"Jim, please!" Batman begged, making Gordon do a double take. In all the years they've worked together, he never heard the Batman says please for anything. Something was up.

"Tell me why. Who is so important that I should risk a resource like Moxon?" Gordon asked him. For several moments, Batman just stood there without saying anything. For a moment, Gordon could have sworn he even heard the Batman sigh.

"I've finally found out who shot the Stoppables." Batman said.

"The Stoppables? As in Ronald Stoppable's parents?" Gordon asked him.

"The same. I have a who, I just don't know where he is. Moxon is the only associate of the gunman that's still in Gotham City, and I can't let that lead slip away." Batman said. The emotion Gordon heard in Batman's voice didn't go unnoticed. Batman was always cold and calculating. But to hear a voice that showed that Batman did care about something? Several pieces in Gordon's head began to fall into place as he looked at his old friend and thought.

"Why are you so interested in the Stoppable case?"

"It's personal, Jim. That's all I can say." Batman said.

Jim sighed in frustration as he raked his hand through his mostly gray hair. He had known and worked with the Batman for years. How many times had he helped this police department and this city? Also, how many of the lunatics in Arkham were created as a result because of him? As many times as he's helped put criminals away, there was also too many close calls where it could have gone the other way. He was a friend but he was also a loose cannon. In some sense, just as dangerous as the maniacs he put away. What the hell was he going to do? What he always did. Go with his gut.

"If anyone asks, you didn't get this information from me." Gordon said. "Windsong Rehabilitation Facility. It's a retirement home in the area where people like the Waynes and Drakes live. A lot of the cops call the area Snob Hill." Jim said.

"Thank you, Jim." Batman said.

"Did you just thank me?" Gordon asked as he turned toward the masked hero, but saw no one there. "I hate it when he does that."

* * *

 **GOTHAM PLAZA HOTEL; YEARS AGO**

The Nationals had been tougher, larger, and more exciting than what the entire Middleton High School cheer squad had expected. Never the less, they preformed in front of hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of exited cheering people and did their best. Each routine, flip, and movement they had put every single ounce of their effort and energy into in order to give the best damn performance they could. Even Ron with his Mad Dog routine received a thunderous applause. The energy all of them had felt afterward almost completely eclipsed the fatigue that had set in almost immediately afterwards. When the final scores were finally announced, all of their muscles trembled in excitement. Sadly, Middleton wasn't the champions that year. They left the competition with second place and admiration from many performers and judges. Several were disappointed that they hadn't won first, none more so than Bonnie. From the time they left the competition to the time when they returned to the Hotel, she did nothing but complain and nitpick about everything they did.

The competition was now behind them. They now had time to relax and to enjoy the rest of their stay in Gotham City. Despite the dark and Gothic architecture, making it look almost as grim as well as grand, there indeed were several things to marvel at in the city. The botanical gardens had such amazing and rare plants from all over the world that they were breath taking. One glance at the beauties would make on think that these plants were apart of a living oil painting. It was also home to many rare plant breeds that were almost extinct. It even housed a large tree at the center of the gardens which was so old that carbon dating placed it long before the Vikings had discovered North America.

The newly opened Gotham Museum of Modern Art was the newest attraction of Gotham City. The building was half the size of the Louver in Paris, and was the home to so many wonderful paintings and sculptures. Some of these works of art were to be widely admired for their creativity. There were other artworks that you could look at for almost hours wondering what the hell you were looking at or wondering what was the artist thinking or smoking? Gotham was even home to one of the first monorails that traveled throughout the Gothic Metropolis and offered free transportation to all of the city's inhabitants.

Since the invitation to the masquerade ball had been so sudden, many of the girls didn't have costumes. Some washed their uniforms and wore them to the party while others did bring a nice dress to wear. In Bonnie's case, she used her mother's credit card to buy the most expensive dress they could find that showed off her body's natural allure with a simple mask you could get for mardi-gras. Kim had money saved from her part time job at Club Banana and bought a reasonably priced strapless lavender dress that had a slit on the left side that went slightly above her knee. She had done her hair in an elegant style bun and also bought a cheap mardi-gras mask as well. After making sure her look was complete, she walked a few short doors down to the room Ron was staying in so they could both go down to the party together. When Ron opened the door, Kim rolled her eyes. He was wearing the Fearless Ferret costume he had kept when the actor, Mr. North, thought he had been a real life superhero.

"Why am I not surprised?" Kim asked aloud.

"Come on, KP. North said I was in his debt, and I only asked to keep this."

"You would." Kim said and pecked him on the lips and giggled at the goofy grin that spread on his face. "Come on, hero. We have a party to attend." Kim said as they interlocked their arms together and made their way to the elevators.

"Oh, I finally heard from Mr. North." Ron said.

"Let me guess. You're going to do a voice over role for Fearless Ferret Beyond?" Kim asked him.

"Sadly, no. But he found out that Warren Cousins Studios is doing a Fearless Ferret movie. He's got a cameo in it and he might be able to get me a walk-on role." Ron said.

"Really?" Kim asked, surprised to hear that a serious movie studio was going to make a movie based on a silly TV superhero. "Who's playing the Fearless Ferret?"

"It isn't confirmed yet, but; Wade said that they're in talks with Christian Bale."

"They want an English actor playing an American superhero?" Kim asked, having seen a few of the actor's movies.

"I'll save my opinion for when the movie comes out. I'm just glad they didn't get Joel Schumacher to direct it. He wanted to give the Ferret suit nipples." Ron said as they entered the elevator.

"Nipples on mission gear? That's got to be the stupidest thing I ever heard." Kim said.

"I know. What point would they serve?"

Tonight, all eyes were on the Fundraiser Dr. Thomas Wayne was throwing to fund the building of the new Children's wing for the newly titled hospital he worked at. The hospital was in the center of the city and was always over crowded with not enough staff and beds. Ever since Thomas became a doctor, he had been doing his best to give them better funding and more staff. But after some of the funds had been mishandled, he was doing his best to make sure the proper equipment was bought was being made and delivered to the hospital by his family's company; Wayne Enterprises. His company would also handle the construction of the new wing, but Thomas insisted on a fundraising drive to raise the funds to pay for the construction. So when the Middleton High School Cheer squad entered the decorated ball room in their costumes, they felt like they had wondered into a modern day fairy tale.

Garlands and decorations that were strung up were unlike anything the faculty and students had used for their dances. Some of the costumes the people were wearing were magnificent. They weren't the cheap stuff you'd find at Smarty Mart during the Halloween season. These were the kind of costumes you would see in Broadway shows or in blockbuster movies. Many of the students felt out of their element while others became nervous that they might embarrass themselves. Bonnie Rockwaller on the other hand just strode into the ballroom like she owned the place. Most likely she was on the lookout for a future ex-husband. As Kim and Ron entered the room, there breath was taken away.

"This guy really knows how to throw a party." Ron said.

"You can say that again." Kim said as they made their way to a waiting table that had their names on it.

"Miss Possible! It's so good to see you again." Thomas Wayne said as he approached their table, wearing a blue and gray bat themed costume. With him was a beautiful young woman on his arm, dressed in a gown of flowing ivory and blue with gold trim, designed to look like a beautiful and elegant dress straight from the Italian Renaissance. "I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of placing you and your friend at the same table with my wife and myself." He said.

"Thank you, Mr. Wayne. This is really," Kim said as she looked all around her.

"Kind of over doing it." Ron said.

"Ron!" Kim said, stunned at her boyfriend's answer.

"Well, it is. I mean, you're doing all this because KP helped you?" Ron asked.

"In a way. Please, have a seat." Mr. Wayne said as they all sat down at the large round table. "I admit that one of the reasons I invited your cheer squad here was to repay you for saving my R&D department, Miss Possible. There's also another reason. You see, Wayne Enterprises has numerous scholarship programs that it gives to various gifted students. Some with academics, and some with other fields. Miss Possible, I've heard that you've been accepted to numerous universities all over the world. Does that include the universities that reside here in Gotham City?" Mr. Wayne said.

"Yes, sir. It does." Kim said.

"Well, I've seen how well you and your friend, Mr. Stoppable, function as a team. And any school that would admit you and not him would be an idiot. So, on behalf of the Wayne Foundation, I would like to offer both of you a scholarship." Mr. Wayne said.

"T-to Gotham U?" Ron asked him.

"To any University of your choice." Mr. Wayne said and had to do his best to hold in a chuckle when he saw the jaws on the two teen fall open in surprise.

"While our city isn't anyone's first choice," Mrs. Martha Wayne said. "it does have one of the finest culinary programs in the country. Several first class chefs graduated from Gotham University. But the choice is up to you."

"I-I don't know what to say." Kim said, floored by the gift Mr. Wayne had just given her and Ron.

""EVERYONE, FREEZE!" a loud voice shouted, causing everyone to turn toward the ballroom's entrance. There were at least five men armed with machine guns, all wearing black jeans, zipped black leather jackets and gloves, while wearing cheap animal masks that covered their faces and heads so no one could identify them. Each of them held large cloth bags in their hands, with the exception of the one that shouted. He wore a walrus mask that only covered his face instead of his entire head. You could easily tell that the only hair he had surrounded the sides of his head while the top was completely bald. "All we want is your cash and jewels. Stay calm and do nothing stupid, a couple of you may get out of this alive." He called out.

Two men started working on donation boxes that had been set up for various charities while the other three started going from table to table with open bags, taking cash and any jewels that people had on them. And here was Ron and Kim stuck at a table and not able to do anything. Or were they?

"KP, what are we going to do?" Ron asked her.

"I think I've got an idea." Kim said as she noticed the three were directly under a large chandelier that hung from the center of the ceiling. If Kim could sever the cord holding it, it would land on the crooks. It would land on several party goers as well. She just hoped she could rely on her speed.

"Ron, keep the Waynes safe." Kim whispered to him.

"KP, you aren't!"

As Ron said those words, Kim narrowed her eyes at the cable that supported the massive chandelier and began to focus. She still had some trouble getting her heat vision to work but hoped she could do it right now. She kept her sight focused on the cord as her eyes squinted. The cord and ceiling started to fade away and reveal what was underneath, but that wasn't what she wanted. If she didn't hurry, the crooks will have moved and she'll lose her chance to stop most of them. Why won't it work? As she grew more frustrates, her vision started to waver and she could feel part of the skin around her eyes begin to feel warmer than the rest of her face. It started to feel warmer than the skin that on the rest of her body. That was when the wavering pattern focused into a concentrated stream at the cord and she saw it begin to burn. Several guests noticed the chandelier as it began to fall and quickly dove or ran out of the way.

The large light piece fell and shattered on impact, but only pinning two of the three gunmen. Out of the corner of his eye, Ron noticed one of the gunmen near the doors aiming his weapon at the running bystanders and possibly open fire. Acting quickly, Ron grasped a butter knife that was on the table before climbing onto the table and leaping off while throwing the knife at the gunman. The knife hit the man in between his masked eyes and caused him to drop his weapon while he grasped his face in pain. The gunman that evaded the falling chandelier aimed his weapon at Ron and pushed it into the middle of the young man's back. Ron slowly raised his arms above his head before quickly dropping to the floor and sweeping the gunmen's legs out from under him. Ron was on top of him within moments and delivered a firm punch to the man's face that caused the back of his head to hit the floor with enough force to knock him out.

The gunman that had grasped his face in pain looked up as the pain began to fade and saw that three of his men were out of the fight as people were scrambling to the doors. What was supposed to be a simple robbery was falling apart. He picked up his machine gun and began to look around. He had to let these people know he meant business. He aimed the gun at several people that were at the closest locked door and began to squeeze the trigger. It looked like a few people were going to die of lead poisoning. That was when he something struck him across his face and tore the mask he was wearing. He quickly looked up as he saw a young red-headed teenager in a ball gown taking a fighting stance in front of him.

"Stupid thing to do, kid." He said as he re-aimed his gun and begun to fire. In that brief instant, the girl had actually spun out of the way of his gun and the bullet. Everything was happening so fast that his eyes hadn't even completely registered his surprise as she leapt to a wall, plant a foot against it, and pushed off from the wall into his direction while slamming the heel of her palm down hard against his face with such force that he could hear his nose shatter and felt warm blood flow like a warm melted ice cream before he had even hit the floor. He raised his gun again to try and shoot her again, but she firmly grasped the gun in her hands and swiftly kicked the masked gunman into his stomach before using the gun to spin him around and slam him into the wall.

He had the thick coppery taste of his own blood in his mouth and felt it covering his lips. His right shoulder and the entire right side of his body aching from being slammed into the wall and he was almost seeing stars. Who was this freaking kid? Who ever she was, he was in no shape to fight her. He had to get out of there and regroup. Leaning against the wall for support, he forced himself up onto his own feet again to try and get away. As he did, he saw the doors to the ballroom burst open and armed police officers immediately marched in with pistols drawn and rifles aimed. He soon found himself being slammed onto one of the cloth covered tables with his arms being forced behind his back and handcuffed. As the mask he wore was forcibly removed, he saw the girl he had gone up against talking to one of the police officers and acted like fighting him was nothing.

"This isn't over, you little bitch. Do you hear me?!" he shouted as he was being drug away.

"Save it, Moxon. You have the right to remain silent." The cop that cuffed him said and tried to forcefully pull him away.

"No one embarrasses me! Do you know who I am?!" he demanded as he was removed from the room. Several minutes later, he found himself in the back of a police cruiser with one of his men.

"You okay, boss?" the man asked.

"That red headed twerp that did this?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I want her dead." He said.


	2. Chapter 2

GOTHAM KNIGHT

By FAH3

 **Windsong Rehabilitation Facility**

When the hell did he become an old man? He looked at his arms and hands and saw how the skin seemed to crinkle like paper. He had so many spots all over himself that he thought he must have looked more like a leopard at a zoo. Except you wouldn't see a leopard on a heart monitor with tubes up its arms and a tube up it's dick. There was a time that muttering his name would make anyone, including cops, cower before him like he was dinosaur that survived through extinction and looking for its next meal. Now look at him. He looked like just any other old sap waiting for the Grimm Reaper to come take them away. He didn't care how nice the staff here was, he'd rather be back at Blackgate just so he wouldn't hear most of these old farts moaning and groaning. The old woman in the room next to his had been shouting for almost seven hours last night before they finally brought her kid in there to shut her up.

"Morning, Mr. Moxon." His nurse said with that annoying smile on her face. He couldn't stand how she always made herself have that happy attitude. He did have to admit that she did have one hell of an ass on her. That was one of the few payoffs of being in this modern day roach motel. Every time she bent down, he got to see a sight that was better than anything he could steal from the Gotham museum. "Mr. Moxon, you have to eat your food." She said to him, noticing he hadn't touched his bowl of what was supposed to be oatmeal. It looked more like something his dogs had eaten and then threw up the next day. It smelt even worse.

"You want me to eat? Get me a medium rare steak with a mountain of fries smothered in ketchup, and a cold beer to wash it down with." He said.

"We've talked about this, sir." She said.

"Lady, I'm dying. So no matter what you feed me, it ain't going to do jack shit. So I just want to enjoy what time I've got left." He said.

"I tell you what, Mr. Moxon." His young nurse said as she stepped close to the bed to check his IV. "If you eat the oatmeal," she said and firmly grabbed his crotch. "I'll get you the magic blue pill next time my shift is over."

"I can work with that." Moxon said with a smirk.

"I thought so." The nurse said with a wink as she left his room, making sure she put more sway in her hips before she closed the door.

Reluctantly, Moxon reached for his mobile food tray and pulled it toward him. He looked at the bowl of oatmeal for a minute before swirling his spoon in it. He wouldn't even make Maroni or Falcone eat this mush. Maybe he could flush this crap down the toilet and convince his nurse that he had eaten this slop? No, that woman was too smart. She'd know he hadn't eaten it. It was cruel that when you're a kid, you learn how to take care of yourself. Then once you get old, you have to be treated like you're a baby again.

He raised a spoonful of oatmeal to his mouth when he saw the lights started to flicker. The only time the lights did that was when a bad storm would blow in. Thanks to a lucky shot from one of Falcone's men several years ago, his shoulder would hurt like crazy when rain would come in. His shoulder didn't feel anything right now. When the lights flickered again, he saw a large shadow standing in front of his bed. It was tall, it was broad, and it had two points at the top of its head. For a moment, he really did fear that it was the reaper or the devil himself that had come to take him away. When the lights came back on, he began to slightly calm when he saw that it was a person.

"I was wondering when I'd see you. How messed up do you have to be to dress up like a flying rodent?" Moxon said.

"You have information I want." The man before him growled.

"Get in line. If you're lucky, I might tell you to go to hell before I croak. Get lost." Moxon said.

"I'm not in the mood for games, Moxon. You're going to give me answers." The dark figure said as he walked to the metal stand that held his IV.

"Two words. Eat ShiAAGGHH!" Moxon shouted as Batman firmly grasped the IV bag and squeezed it slightly. "You can't do that! I've got a deal with the cops!"

"Do I look like a cop?" Batman asked before squeezing the bag again. "Tell me everything you know about Joe Chill."

"Chill? Never heard of AAGGHH!" Moxon shouted again. "STOP! STOP, DAMN IT!" Moxon said and began to breathe heavily as Batman let the IV bag slip from his gloved hand. "I hav-haven't heard from Chill in years. The last time I saw him was not too long after I was locked up in Blackgate."

"What did he want?"

"I don't remember. It was years ago." Moxon said. He tried to gasp as Batman firmly grasped him by his neck and began to squeeze tightly. Moxon tried to pry the Dark Knight's fingers away from his throat but he may as well have been trying to pry open a steel trap. He wasn't sure he couldn't even make them budge if he was still in his prime. Moxon's eyes grew wider as Batman lifted him in the air and slammed Moxon against the wall so hard that it threatened t crack the dry wall and shook the hanging crucifix.

"I'm getting tired of these games, Moxon. Don't make crack open your skull and dig for the answers." Batman growled in a tone that would have made the Boogeyman afraid.

"He," Moxon gasped as he tried to take a breath through Batman's grip. "It was right before that slime Maroni took my territory. He let me know that he had finished a job for me."

"What job?" Batman asked. When the old mobster didn't say anything, the masked vigilante's grip tightened around his neck as he slammed him against the wall again. "What job?!"

"I put a contract on Ron Stoppable!"

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Batman demanded.

* * *

 **Blackgate Prison: Several Years Ago**

Who would want to come visit him? His last wife left him for some bum in Reno, Nevada while his daughter, who was ashamed to have a mobster for a father, was off somewhere in the Bahamas spending her husbands money. Anyone he called a friend was either keeping their mouth shut or at the bottom of the Gotham river. So who had the nerve to try and visit him while he was locked up in here? As a guard escorted him to a table with a thick piece of bulletproof glass, with wire mesh in the center of it, he noticed a rather short and skinny man on the other side. His hair was slicked back with an obvious large amount of hair gel while a goatee of dark brown hair framed his mouth. He wore a brown leather jacket that had seen better days and you could see several beads of sweat on his forehead. It took him a minute to recognize him. He was the only person in his organization that looked like the bastard son of Christopher Walken. Joe Chill, or Joey as a lot of them called him. The guy was a low level grunt, a gopher. So what the hell was he doing here? Moxon slowly sat down and took the phone that hun beside him as Chill took the other.

"You better have a good reason for wasting my time, Joey." Moxon said.

"I found out about that broad that put you here, boss." Joe said.

"Is she dead yet?"

"No."

"Then why would I want to know anything about her?"

"Boss, the girl was Kim Possible." Joe said and didn't see any hint of recognition on his employer's face. "You know? She's the girl that goes around the world saving people and stuff?"

"I know who you're talking about, Joey. Has anyone shown interest in the contract?"

"That's what I came to tell you. No one wants to do the hit, there's just too much heat on this one. I mean, it's a girl who's saved the freaking _world._ "

"What about one of the psychos she goes up against?"

"No can do there, boss. They're either locked up or not interested. Not to mention no one can find her."

"What do you mean no one can find her?" Moxon demanded.

"After she graduated from high school, she disappeared. Her site's down, her family's lips are sealed. No one knows where she is. She's gone, boss." Chill said.

"Damn it." Moxon said as he began to think. For a moment or two, both sat in silence under the watchful eyes of the guards until a small smile appeared on Moxon's face. "Put a hit on her boyfriend instead."

"Boss?"

"That blonde little shit that was helping her beat my boys to a pulp. I saw the way they were looking at each other. There's something between the two of them. If I can't rub that little bitch out, I'll make her suffer. What's his name? Robert? No. Ron. Ron Stoppable is his name. Five-thousand dollars for whoever rubs out that little snot. In cash!" Moxon said.

"I'll do it!" Chill said, wanting to pounce on the deal. Immediately, Chill saw the skeptical look on Moxon's face. "I can do it, boss. He's going to school here in Gotham. Please, Boss!" Chill asked.

"All right, Joey. Get a piece from a guy I know in Otisburg. His name is Doug, he hangs out in a bar called The Aces & Eights. Tell him I sent you. The next time I see you, Stoppable better be dead." Moxon said and hung up the phone.

* * *

"IT WAS YOU?!" Batman demanded as he gripped Moxon's throat with both hands and slammed him against the wall even harder, causing Moxon's back to pop and crack in several places it wasn't. "BECAUSE OF YOU, THE STOPPABLES ARE DEAD!"

"So Chill botched the job. What's it to you, anyway?" Moxon asked.

"You diseased maniac." Batman growled as he fought every want and desire to choke the life out of the man in front of him. He could feel his anger flare within him like a wildfire, but he knew that Moxon wasn't the one he wanted. Chill was the one that pulled the trigger, and Chill would be the one to feel more pain than he ever dreamed of. "If I were you, Moxon; I'd learn to see from the back of your skull. Because until the day you die, I will be watching you. From every single corner of every empty room, I will hang over your head like the shadow of death. If you put so much as a toe out of line, I will make sure that your last days are filled with so much pain and misery that you won't even be able to imagine that hell could even be worse." The masked man growled as he slammed his fist through the wall next to Moxon's head as the lights went out.

As the lights came back on, Moxon found himself back in bed. He panted heavily as he thought it was all a dream until he saw the hole in the wall above him. He swallowed a dry lump that had formed in his throat as he looked back down at his tray table and also saw a bat symbol carved into it as well.

"Mr. Moxon, is there anything wrong?" another nurse asked as he walked into his room.

"I'm fine. I think my crucifix just kept the devil away." The old gangster said.

* * *

" _Batman, are you all right?"_ Oracle asked as he sped through the streets of Gotham in the Tumbler.

"I'm fine, Oracle." He growled as he dodged several cars that he almost rear ended while keeping his foot planted on the gas pedal.

" _Your suit's sensors are spiking."_

"I SAID I'M FINE, DAMN IT!" Batman shouted and slammed his fist through the communications panel of the tumbler before he brought it to screeching halt. He ripped the cowl off of his head, reached in, and ripped out the ear piece and microphone before tossing it into the empty passenger seat beside him.

Ron leaned his head back as he closed his eyes and tried to control his temper with the techniques he had learned years ago at Yamanuchi. Sadly, none were working. He kept seeing Moxon's smiling face as he confessed what he did. The night his parents were shot also kept playing over and over in his head until he finally screamed and kept punching the steering wheel of the Tumbler until his fist started to ache and his throat became hoarse. All these years, he thought it was just random chance that had lead them down that alley. That it was fate that made him into the Batman. All this time! If Ron's jaw clinched any harder he would probably start making his teeth bleed. He needed to calm down. He couldn't think or do anything else in this state. The last time he tried to be Batman when his temper was out of control he almost killed the Joker. Gripping the wheel tightly, he floored the gas and began taking the quickest way back to the cave.

* * *

Robin entered the cave on his new motorcycle, known as the Red Bird, and immediately saw that the Tumbler was parked. Something wasn't right with it. After Robin parked his cycle and dismounted, he saw that the tumbler was covered with various scratches and dents. When Ron drove this thing out in the city, he was usually a pretty good driver unless he was in a chase. Even then, the control Ron had over Tumbler was almost unrealistic. The onlytime it would receive this much damage was when whoever Ron was chasing tried to run him off the road or decided to take a few shots at him. To see the Tumbler dented and smashed to hell like this wasn't a good sign at all.

"Oracle, this is Robin. What happened with Batman?"

" _He went to interrogate a suspect. Something to do with a cold case he's working on. I noticed his biometrics spiked afterward. When I asked him if he was okay, he said he was fine and all communications cut out. Even the GPS on the Batmobile stopped working. Is he at the cave?"_

"The Tumbler is and it's dented to hell. You sure he wasn't in a car chase or something?"

" _Don't know. I lost everything on the car about three hours ago."_

"Okay. Thanks, Oracle." Robin said and walked to the main computer. He was brought up a layout of the manor above and saw nothing on the security monitors or sensors. When he brought up a layout of the cave, he saw that the simulator room was in use. He brought up the room's cameras and saw that Ron was stripped down to a pair of pants and fighting against several droids. Stoppable Industries and Wayne Enterprises teamed up and created construction robots that could work in areas that were too dangerous for people. The down side was the face plates looked too similar to the mask of the movie slasher Jason. Ron also made sure that he had several built for training uses in combat which came in handy. Their normal training would consist of each of them going up against three droids at a time, maybe four. However, Ron was fighting all three dozen at once!

"Ron, its Dick. You're going to hurt yourself! Shut the program down!" Robin said into the mic as he took his mask off.

"I'm fine!" Ron shouted back as he punched a robot so hard that he dented the face plate and scratched his knuckles which were already starting to bleed slightly.

"Like hell you are. Shut the program down!" Dick said into the mic and found he was being ignored. Dick tried to shut down the program from his end and saw that Ron had deactivated both his and Hanna's access codes. Not only that, he had disabled the safety protocols in all the droids. If Dick didn't do something, those droids were going to kill Ron!

"Oracle, it's me. I need you to access the simulator in the cave and shut it down! Hurry!" Dick said as he saw Ron beat the ever loving piss out of each droid that tried to attack him. "Ron, what were you thinking?" Dick asked himself.

* * *

 **Gotham University**

"What the hell were you thinking?" the teacher asked as he looked at a cake that was supposed to look like the logo for the Gotham Sharks football team. That's not what it looked like at all. "I'll ask you again. What the hell am I looking at?" he asked the girl on the other side of the table.

"It didn't come out the way I hoped." She said.

"I can see that!" he snapped at her. Their teacher was a world renowned gourmet chef known as Elliot Weiss. He owned three restaurants in New York, was about to open one in Gotham, and had his own cooking show on the Fine Dinning Network. He was also well known for having a low tolerance for anyone that didn't give him their absolute best. "I thought I was giving you an easy assignment since your Home Economics teacher kept going on about how talented you were. Your teacher must either be the stupidest hag that ever walked the Earth, or confused you with someone that actually had talent!" he said as he picked up the cake and threw it into a garbage can.

"I've had to finish several other assignments." The girl tried to say.

"THAT'S NO EXCUSE! When you do this professionally, you have to remember several orders and try to cook them at same time! Not to mention that each customer will want it prepared a certain way, which you also have to keep in mind. I asked for a shark, you gave me a mutated dolphin that looked like it just had the living piss beaten out of it!" the man screamed in her face.

"Dude, lay off!" one student spoke, causing the middle aged man's already face to turn a shade darker. "Everyone screws up now and then."

"Not in my class they don't!" he shouted back. "What's your name?"

"Ron Stoppable." The blonde young man said as the angry chef marched toward him.

"You've failed."

"Do what?!" Ron asked.

"You dare challenge me in my kitchen? You've failed!"

"But he did his assignment." Another student spoke up.

"I'm not talking about his assignment. He and now you have failed the entire semester. Maybe that will remind you that I'm the teacher, and you're the students. I decide who passes and who doesn't. In the kitchen, I am God!"

"Chef Weiss!" a deeper voice shouted from the doorway. There stood the dean of Gotham University himself. On more than one occasion, Chef Weiss had flown off the handle at students in such a way that it made Gordon Ramsey look like self esteem coach. It was always rumored that he had been a severe control freak and perfectionist but the dean didn't give the rumor any credit. Not until last semester after Weiss threw a tantrum on a student for having a minor imperfection on a pastry dish. He had screamed in her face so loudly that he almost made himself hoarse and threw the dish across the room before stomping and spitting on it. After the girl ran out of the classroom, she was found half an hour later in the women's rest room. She had tried to kill herself by overdosing on anti-depressants she had been prescribed. Weiss kept his job, but after he had been ordered to take anger management classes. Hence the reason he was now here. "May I have a word with you?" the dean asked as he stepped out into the hall.

"Yes, sir." Weiss said. As soon as the man was out of the classroom, he turned back to the two students. "You better pack your bags and head to whatever Podunk piece of shit town you came from. I will make sure neither of you will ever enter a professional kitchen." He said before heading out into the hallway.

"What a douche." A young man said in the back said.

"Believe it or not, I've dealt with worse." Ron said as he let out a sigh and remembered some of the fits Mr. Barkin would throw. A shiver ran down Ron's back at all the times he had to put up with the man as his principal, teacher, monitor in detention, and co-worker at Smarty Mart. "Actually, I think I'd rather be dealing with this guy right now."

"YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" Weiss shouted from outside the classroom. It was so loud and so sudden that it actually made several of the students flinch in their seats. After a few more moments, the dean entered the classroom and adjusted the glasses that kept slipping down his rather wide nose.

"I'm afraid Mr. Weiss will no longer be teaching this class, nor will he be an employee of this University. Until we can find a suitable replacement, this class is temporarily suspended. As an apology for Mr. Weiss' actions, you will all be getting a passing grade for this recent semester."

All of the students were pleased to hear the news and immediately began getting ready to leave. Ron would love this news if it was one of his other classes. When it came to cooking, this was one of his passions and one of the rare occasions he really didn't feel right getting an easy grade. Ron quickly made his way to the dean as he was walking out the door and stopped him as quickly as he could. "I don't mean to be nosy, but why are you letting Chef Jerk go all of a sudden?" Ron asked.

"I really can't say anything, Mr. Stoppable. Trust me when I say you might want to distance yourself from Mr. Weiss." The dean said and left. This made Ron confused even more and wanted to find out what in the world was going on. Ron went back to the classroom to clean up his station and took his time. Everyone else was cleaning their tools and stations as fast as they could so they could leave which was what Ron was counting on. By the time Ron was finished, he was the only one left in the room. After quick glance, he activated the Kimmunicator watch that Kim gave him before she left.

"Long time no see, Ron." Wade said with his usual cheerful demeanor.

"Hey, Wade. You think you can do me a favor?"

"Sure. What's up?"

"My professor was just canned and they're giving everyone a passing grade for the semester. Can you see what's going on?"

"I don't see why not. What's the guy's name?"

"Chef Elliot Weiss."

"Weiss?" Wade asked, stunned to hear the name. "That guy is a known ticking time bomb. I'm surprised he'd be willing to go into teaching." Wade said as he accessed the school's database." Whoa!" Wade said as he looked at his screen. He began to explain to Ron what had happened with the student that tried to overdose and his anger management classes that were mandatory. "There's more. It turns out he only went to two courses and then punched out the psychiatrist in charge after some sort of disagreement."

"Can you say psycho much?"

"That's not why he was fired. Another student of his tried to slash his tires two days ago, but Weiss caught him. He broke the student's nose, cheeks, and several of his ribs. When he was leaving, Weiss tried to run him down with his car."

"You've got to be kidding me." Ron said. All of a sudden, Ron wasn't sorry for getting a pass for the whole semester. "Thanks, Wade. Oh, is there anything from Kim?"

"We finally got an e-mail from her. She said she's learning a lot about her biological family and taking several online courses." Wade said.

"Thank God. It's almost been a month and a half since I got an e-mail from her."

"Apparently she's really wrapped up in finding about where she comes from."

"Did she say anything else? Maybe something about when she'll be visiting?" Ron asked.

"She mentioned that she sent you message. It's probably in your inbox now."

"Thanks, Wade. Take care of yourself."

"You too, Ron." Wade said and cut the transmission. With that, Ron gathered his things and went back to the dorm he was staying in. He was about halfway toward the exit when he heard all too familiar shouting again. Back trapping his steps, Ron saw Chef Weiss was arguing with the dean again and Weiss' face was so red it was unbelievable. Ron was about to leave when he saw Weiss ball up his fist and punch the dean in the side of his head so hard that it actually knocked the old man unconscious. He didn't stop there. Once the dean was on the ground, Weiss proceeded to kick the man repeatedly in his chest and abdomen. Ron moved on instinct as he ran down the hall as fast as he could and swept Weiss' feet out from under him. "Leave him alone and walk away." Ron said in a calm but irritated voice.

The look on the former teacher's face showed that he had lost all self control as he stood back up and took several swings at Stoppable. Ron was able to easily bob and weave to avoid getting his. There was no form at all, just random rage. Weiss' launched a fast right jab that Ron easily dodged and heard a loud and sickening crunch. Weiss had punched the wall when Ron moved and his limp fingers and shivering hand indicated that he had just broken his hand. The anger in the man seemed to boil even more as he reached for the black package he had been holding with him. Unfolding it, he revealed it was his assortment of various kitchen knives and had seized the largest one possible. With the large knife in hand, he attacked Stoppable with screams of primal screams of anger.

Ron's mind was on full alert now and could see this man was now intent on trying to kill Ron. Ron backed away and saw Weiss was trying to bring the blade down in attempt to stab Ron in the neck. Ron blocked with his forearm before kicking Weiss in the shin. As the pain distracted the mad chef, Ron was able to firmly grasp the man's wrist and twist it. Weiss dropped the knife right before Ron used his other hand to grab him by the hair and slammed him against the wall. Before Weiss could try and move, Ron punched Weiss in the face with enough force to knock him unconscious. With Weiss finally down, Ron went to check on the dean and heard him wheezing horribly.

"Can't – breath." The man said.

"It's all right, sir. We'll get you help." Ron said as he pulled out the Kimmunicator to call Wade.

"What a mess." The patrolman said as Weiss was hauled away and the dean was loaded into the ambulance with broken ribs and a punctured lung. "You did good, kid. There's not a lot of people he would have stepped up like you did."

"I'm lucky I knew martial arts. Do I have to go with you?" Ron asked him.

"Given the statements we took and the footage everyone had with their cell phones, I doubt it. Not to mention this guy has a history of anger issues. I think the only problem you're going to have is when those videos get posted on YouTube tonight." The officer told him.

"Thanks for the help officer?"

"It's Gordon. Officer James Gordon." The patrol man said.

"I'm Ron Stoppable." Ron said as they shook hands. "If we meet again, I hope it's on better terms."

"So do I." the officer said before heading to his car. As the car drove away, Ron decided to head back to his dorm and get some rest.

By the time Ron had returned to his dorm, word of what he had done was already well known all over campus. There were many variations, but most of the people he passed were giving him high fives or telling him how cool, awesome, or incredible his fight was. He wouldn't be surprised if someone had recorded his fight and posted it by now. The attention was a little unusual to him. The entire time he and Kim had teamed up to save the world, Kim was the one that got the attention and credit while he stood in the background. Safe to say he didn't really enjoy being in the spotlight. He was close to his room when he bumped into Crawl. He was one of the many students there and had a reputation as a bit of a party animal. Truth be told, he looked like a left over Generation X-er from the 90's and didn't care what other people thought of his looks. It was hard to believe from the way the guy acted and talked that he was one of the University's star Mathematicians.

"Ron-man! Hey, buuuudy. Heard about the chef going loco." He said as he gave Ron a high five.

"News travels fast, huh?"

"It's worse than little old ladies at a church service, mi amigo. Oh, some guy called looking for you while you were out. Cat something?"

"Wildcat Grant?" Ron asked.

"That's him, bro. He a friend or something?"

"Dude, you've never heard of him? He was a big time boxer right around the time the Rocky sequels came out." Ron said. What Ron said was a bit of an understatement. Wildcat Grant was a major heavyweight championship boxer and had defended the title time an time again. He lost his title when word got out that he was spending most of his nights as a costumed vigilante by the same name, Wild Cat. Now he was running his own gym and doing his best to train the next generation of boxers. Ron had found it during his first month in Gotham City just so he could have a place to train his Monkey Kung Fu. Grant himself was so impressed with Ron's moves that he gave him a membership and had been teaching him how to box. Ron couldn't help but wonder why he was calling.

"Sorry, bro. I'm not into the whole macho violence entertainment thing unless it's professional wrestling." Crawl said. "I've got to get to my trig class. I've been majoring it for two years, but I'm thinking about dropping it."

"Why?"

"Too easy, bro. I'm looking for something that's more challenging." Crawl said as he began to walk away. "Oh! Tell the two old people in your room that I said hi." Crawl said as he looked at Ron while walking backwards before turning and almost running into a freshman.

"Old people?" Ron asked himself as he opened the door to his room and was surprised to see his parents. His dad was sitting in his desk chair and watching the news on his flat screen while his mother was flipping through one of his ultimate game guides to Zombie Mayhem trilogy. "Mom? Dad?" he asked, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"Ron, do you actually play these games? I knew games had come a long way since Super Mario Brothers, but this is down right frightening!" his mother said as she looked at various pictures from different gameplay screen captures.

"Believe it or not, it's actually tamer than several others. What are you two doing here and where's Hanna?" Ron asked.

"With all the time we've taken off from work to raise your sister, we realized it was rather lonely without you around. So we decided to surprise you with a visit." His dad said as he stood and gave his son a hug.

"Don't worry about, Hanna. Anne offered to take care of her while we're here."

"She did? I thought she was still keeping herself busy." Ron said. According to his last letter from Mrs. Dr. P, she was doing extensive research on a radical new surgery technique.

"She finished that ages ago. So, how's college life treating you?" his father asked.

"It's been an adjustment. A lot of the time, it feels like a daycare center where everyone smokes." Ron said.

"I hope you're not smoking too. Oh Lord, you're not going to frat parties and binge drinking too?"

"No! No, no, no. If I did anything like that, I'd loose my scholarship." Ron said which wasn't true. He had gone to two parties, and that was with one of his new classmates as a wing man. He didn't really care for it and didn't really care for the alcohol. So anytime he was invited to a party, he usually said he had homework or research to do and would go to Grant's gym instead. After everything he and Kim used to do in high school, the party life felt rather tame. "So, how long are you guys here?"

"Only for the weekend. So, what's there to do in Gotham City?" his dad asked.

"Not really sure. When I'm not doing school work, I've been taking boxing lessons."

"Boxing? Ron, I thought you would have grown out of that fighting phase when Kim left." His mom said.

"Now dear, it's good that Ron knows how to protect himself. Even in a city like this, it's better to be safe than sorry." His dad explained.

"But, there is one place I like to go in downtown. It shows old movies on the weekends and its one of the last standing theatres from the Golden Age of movies. It's called the Monarch theatre." Ron said.

"The Monarch? It sounds very classy." His dad said.

"Not too classy, but it the people that own it do their best to keep it in shape. I think they're showing an old Basil Karlo movie tonight."

"Basil Karlo?" his mother asked. "He used to be one of my favorite actors when I was growing up. He always knew how to play the perfect villain, almost as good as Vincent Price. I even heard Hollywood is thinking about remaking one of his films."

"Not another remake." Ron muttered to himself. "So, you want to go see it? I'll pay for the tickets if you buy the popcorn."

"Since it's one of your mother's favorite actor's, why not?" His dad said.

* * *

If it had been a normal human, the wave of punches Ron had just delivered would have rendered the robot temporarily deaf, shattered its nose, and most likely would have fractures its larynx before Ron took it down by sweeping the robots legs out from under him. Sweat was pouring off of him in small rivers with his hair now looking like a complete matted mess as he grabbed another robot and slammed it into another before launching powerful kick that knocked both of them to the ground. He was so lost in his fights that he didn't see the blood covering his knuckles or hear Robin's constant banging on the door to the training room. Their learning software was now adapting as they started to pair off in small groups before trying to attack Ron. When that proved ineffective, their numbers kept growing and growing. Despite Ron's discipline and speed, the machines were starting to land at least one below every so often. Soon the one blow was slowly starting to add up. Though faint, bruises were starting to make themselves known and fatigue was beginning to set in. Ron ignored it and continued to ignore his body's complaints and kept battling robot after robot. He didn't see the blank metal faces of androids, he just saw his face. That one face. The face of Joe Chill in every single one of them.

His teeth were clenched as he kept launching assault after assault in an effort to smash that face. He wasted to see that face break and watch it bleed. To watch the pain that gunman had caused him to echo in his. Despite his mind pushing himself, his body was loosing its edge. The androids were landing more punches as it became harder for him to try and put as much strength as he could behind each punch or kick. He felt cold and hard metal fists strike him in the face more than once as he switched techniques in an effort to use their own momentum against them. He was still finding himself trying to catch his breath as more of the machines were landing more blows. As he glanced at the blank face plate of one android, he saw his own reflection in the face plate that was covered in smeared blood. As soon as he saw that image, another memory began to surface. Both of his parents laying on the alley floor, lifeless as their blood began to pool underneath them. In the blood, he saw his own reflection. The look of pain at his loss in his own eyes as he not only watched his parents die, but the person he once was die as well in the light of the moon.

He was so lost in the memory that he didn't see the punch coming. The android landed a blow to Ron's left check and almost broke it as Ron's world spun and he almost lost his balance. He blocked the following punches with his arms and kicked the droid in the chest, but it didn't have the power he tried to put into it. Instead of knocking the droid off of its feet, it only staggered. They droids were regrouping as they planned a new attack as Ron did his best to keep a fighting stance while breathing heavily and fight off the ache his muscles were filled with. As the droids began to advance, he heard the secured door behind him being forcibly opened before a blast of intense energy shot forward and slice into the machine's chests and sever their power sources. The androids collapsed as smoke, sparks, and the smell of burning metal filled the room. Ron turned to see a very worried Kim in her blue and red uniform looking at her with a worried look.

"Ron, what the hell were you doing?" she asked him.

"I had it under control." Ron said as his voice revealed how exhausted he really was.

"Bullshit." Kim said. Even now, after all they had been through, it was rare when she cursed like that. She only did that when she was really angry or really worried. From the looks in her eyes, it was both. Ron walked past her and grabbed a towel that was waiting on a railing as he saw Robin's worried look as well. He ignored it and walked to the main computer where his chair was waiting for him. "Ron, will you talk to me?"

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Like hell! You've been acting so moody that you've got everyone worried and you try to kill yourself in there!" Kim protested.

"I have safety protocols in place to prevent any real harm."

"That you disabled, Boss. If Kim hadn't come along, they would have killed you." Robin said. The glare he received from his foster father didn't only scream "shut up," but also said that they were going to talk about it later.

"Ron, the last time you did something like this was when Doomsday," Kim began but couldn't finish. There was still too much pain with the memories of that battle and the baby she lost as a result of it. There was also the pure ice ball of fear that went through her when she remembered pieces of the fight and how ready she was to tear that monster apart. "Was when you thought I was dead. Now something has got you so worked up that your putting yourself in danger again. Not what is it?" Kim demanded but received no answer as Ron sat in his chair and looked at the information on the bat computer. "I am not leaving until you say something to me."

"Piss off." He mumbled.

"Richard, give us a moment." Kim said to the young man behind her. Dick knew whenever Kim used his full name that things were about to get ugly. Not wanting to be in the crossfire, he went straight to the elevator that lead to the mansion above them. He didn't even change out of his uniform as Kim spun Ron's chair around and glared at him with their noses almost touching.

"Ronald Dean Stoppable," she started as she accentuated every letter. "I have known you for most of our lives and we've been through too much for you to act like this." She said and still received the silent treatment. "I'm not moving from this spot and I'm not letting you leave. I'm not only your friend, but I'm the mother of your child and I deserve more than this." Ron was silent for a few more moments before he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"The Black Mercy." He said as he looked into her eyes. "After I managed to get it off of you, it latched onto me. I don't know how, but I relived that night. All of it." Ron said as he opened his parents file and brought up the mug shot.

"Is that?" Kim asked.

"Him." Ron said with every ounce of venom he could muster. "His name is Joe Chill. I was able to find out why he was in the alley that night. It was a hit." Ron said as he found himself balling his fist again. "There was a hit out on me and he took the contract. But my parents were killed instead."

"A hit? That doesn't make sense. Who would put a hit on you?" Kim asked him.

"Does the name Louis Moxon ring a bell?" Ron asked as he glanced at Kim again. He saw her face was blank at first before she finally remembered. "He did it to get even for what we did to him." Ron said.

"That son of a bitch." Kim whispered as she let the news sink in.

"I don't know whether or not I should thank Mongul. Without the Black Mercy, I probably wouldn't have remembered what he looked like. But – that dream. Everything felt so real. I had everything I wanted in my life. I had you and our kids all together under one roof. I also had my parents again. I know they barley raised me, but I know they still loved me and did what they thought was best. I could smell my mom's perfume, I could feel my dad's hand on my shoulder. Then that dream was ripped away as I relived that night. Every goddamn detail was exactly as it happened in every way." Ron said as he slouched forward and buried his head in his hands.

Kim walked around the chair and wrapped her arms around Ron and held him close. She knew how he felt at that moment. Having to go through the experience of what the Black Mercy offered and have it ripped away was unlike anything she had ever endured. For Ron having to relive the night he lost his parents had to be agony on another level. As she held him close, she closed her eyes as she recalled her own experience.

"I was on Krypton," she started. "Everything was beautiful and exactly the way Jor-El had showed me. You were even there." She said as she felt her tears begin to form behind her eyelids. "We had a good life, and even a family. We had our little girl with us." Kim said as her voice cracked, bringing up the baby that would have been. "When I realized it was fake, it was like I was there when Krypton was destroyed. I could actually hear the people screaming in fear as the world came apart. I was in the middle of it all, and I was holding our daughter as she looked at me and begged me not to leave her." Kim said as the tears fell. She hadn't even told Jon about this in their therapy sessions. It was just too hard to talk about it. Ron enveloped Kim in his own arms as they held each other in the light of the computer's large monitor. For now, all they had and all they needed was each other.

"I've always got your back, KP." He whispered to her.

"Me too."


End file.
